FIRE DESTROYS 2 CONDOS,

BUT UNDER CONTROL NOW

SLIDE SHOW: FIRE DAMAGES 2 GLIMMERGLASS CONDO UNITS

By JIM KEVLIN • for allotsego.com

FIVE MILE POINT

The unit belonging to the president of the Glimmerglass Condominium Association caught fire shortly before noon today and was largely gutted before the blaze was brought under control by firefighters responding from as far as Milford and Richfield Springs.

The unit was at 8 Box Seat Lane, occupied by Jim Webb, condo president, and Troy Nelson. The one next door, 7 Box Seat, a rental, reportedly to Glimmerglass Opera managers, appears to have sustained significant damage.

The two other attached units – 6, owned by Frank Vergari, and 5, by John and Katherine Kotz – appeared undamaged by flames, but it seemed likely there was some smoke damage.

Cooperstown Fire Capt. Mike Molloy, who commanded the first truck to arrive on the scene, said the Webb unit was “fully engulfed.” His first directive was to send the pump down to Five Mile Point for water to combat the blaze.

His strategy, Molloy said, was to “push the fire” to the north, away from the other units. He said it took about 45 minutes to bring things under control.

Alerted by the first tone of “smoke” in the condo community, Fire Chief Jim Tallman was on alert. A few moments later the second tone reported “flames showing,” and he set mutual aid in motion.

In the next half-hour, not only Cooperstown, but Richfield Springs, Hartwick, Hartwick Seminary, Milford and Fly Creek responded to the scene.

According to neighbors, Webb had been over in Roseboom this morning and, when he saw alerts pop up on his monitor, headed back toward the condo community. Since Route 166 in the Roseboom-Cherry Valley area lacks cell service, it was only as he neared Cooperstown that he was able to read texts and discovered his condo was on fire.

As sad as this incident is, it was a freak accident and not due to the quality of the condo. Condos are always increasing in popularity and ownership, and are readily available from many sites, including from Eddie Yan, who also has burnaby homes for sale.

Since the condos are off Wedderspoon Hollow Road, about Route 80, traffic continued up and down the lake as firefighting was underway. Heavy Saturday traffic, however, may have slowed fire trucks responding to the scene.

By 2:30 p.m., heavy rains were falling, helping douse any remaining embers.